Jan-Henrik Witthaus

Prof. Dr. Jan-Henrik Witthaus serves as Professor and Head of the Department of Spanish Literature at the University of Kassel, where he also holds the position of Vice Dean. His academic work centers on Spanish and Latin American literary traditions, with particular emphasis on political representation, dictator novels, Enlightenment-era literature, and colonial histories. He leads the Latin America Research Center of the University of Kassel (CELA), demonstrating his institutional commitment to interdisciplinary Latin American studies.

Witthaus's research interests span multiple interconnected domains including Spanish Enlightenment studies, economic thought in literature, translation history, colonial narratives, and political representation in literary works. His scholarly approach combines historical analysis with theoretical frameworks examining power dynamics, sovereignty, and cultural production across Spanish and Latin American contexts. Recent work has increasingly focused on extractivism, narco-literature, pandemic narratives, and gender politics in contemporary Latin American fiction.

His publication trajectory reveals consistent scholarly productivity with numerous monographs, edited volumes, and articles. Recent publications (2020-2025) demonstrate evolving interests in environmental humanities, affect theory, and political economy as applied to literary analysis. His work frequently examines intersections between literature and broader socio-political phenomena, including sovereignty, power structures, and historical transitions.

As an academic leader, Witthaus has edited significant volumes including Renaissances of Realism? Romance Studies Contributions to the Representation of Social Inequality in Literature and Film (2023), Pandemic and Literature (2021), and Right-Wing Turn in Latin America (2020), reflecting his engagement with contemporary social issues through literary scholarship.